Hicks: &apos;Finding Nemo&apos; sequel &apos;Finding Dory&apos; on the way

This film image released by Disney Pixar shows the character Dory, voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. The character, first introduced in "Finding Nemo," returns for the sequel, "Finding Dory," set for release on Nov. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Disney Pixar)

No. I'm not kidding. I would never kid about anything as serious as talking fish.

Ellen DeGeneres, who voiced the forgetful blue fish in the first film, tweeted "It's official," captioning a "Finding Dory" Instagram picture, according to E! News. She also told her talk show audience, "I'm excited that it's finally happening. I read the script and it's fantastic, it's hilarious, it's warm, it's everything that you want it to be."

A Disney-Pixar gold mine is what it will be.

The follow-up to the 2003 Oscar-winning hit will focus on DeGeneres' character, and will be directed by Nemo codirector Andrew Stanton.

"I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time," the 55-year-old DeGeneras said in a statement. "I'm not mad it took this long. I know the people at Pixar were busy creating Toy Story 16. But the time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It's got a lot of heart, it's really funny, and the best part is -- it's got a lot more Dory."

According to Statton, the new story picks up about a year after the original ended, and will also include Nemo, Marlin and the Tank Gang.